Welcome

Hello, my name is Dionne and I have been crafting for a very long time. As a very young child my mother tried to teach me to knit, it was a disaster. However, it must have sparked an interest in making things and, partly to prove that I was not totally useless and partly because I really wanted to make things, I taught myself to crochet. Over the years I have developed a love of cross stitch and all types of paper craft ..... I eventually even taught myself to knit.

I am married to a very understanding man, thank goodness, because I spend all my time either crafting, thinking about crafting or talking about crafting. I am hopeless at housework and dinner is often late!

Saturday, 30 July 2016

I am back with my second post of the day, I have been without the internet for a couple of days, so I am having to squeeze some of my Design Team cards for the current Craft Boots Challenge before the challenge deadline tomorrow.

When I saw this rubber stamp for sale I was struck by it's resemblance to the photograph in this picture challenge and I knew I just had to have to.

The stamp is by Crafty Individuals and is called 'Summer Poppy Meadow'. My husband and I spend a lot of time in the county of Norfolk, where fields of poppies are not an uncommon sight, so much so that the area is known locally as 'Poppyland'.

I coloured the stamped image with F&C pencils and then mounted it on gold mirri and Cherry Cobbler coloued card. The backing paper is from a K & Co paper stack by Tim Coffey. and the delicate poppy die is from Memory Box.

There is still time for you to enter your project in this Picture Challenge, pop over to the Crafty Boots blog and link up your work.

I must apologies for not being about for the past few days, I have been without the internet. (I find it so frustrating not being able to get on line to surf blogland and see what you have all been up to.) Consequently, I am very behind with my posts for the current Crafty Boots Challenge.

I coloured this Delicious Doodles image with F&C pencils before adding the marble effect background with Squeezed Lemon distress ink. I then mounted to image on some green card and finally s little blue card. The little gems are from my stash and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

Monday, 25 July 2016

The fabulous weather we had this weekend would have been perfect for messing about on boats and this image seems perfect for the Crafty Boots Picture Challenge Reminder. It captures the very last rays of sunshine for the day as these boats make their way back to harbour.

The image is from Delicious Doodles is called 'Coming Home'. I coloured it with F&C pencils and them mounted it on silver mirri and Wisteria Wonder card from Stampin' Up. The papers are also from Stampin' Up. The card Candy is from Craftwork Cards and the sentiment was made on my computer.

I hope you have a fabulous week, oh, and don't forget to pop over the Crafty Boots Challenges and enter you project for this challenge.

Wednesday, 20 July 2016

Here in the UK we are experiencing something of a heatwave. After weeks and weeks of complaining about the constant rain and how cold it was for the time for year, we have gone straight into almost 100 degrees during the day and sleepless nights. However, it is not all good news, I have just heard that the Met Office has issued a Weather Warning for Rain in Scotland. Never a dull moment, no wonder the British are always talking about the weather!

My husband it a keen golfer and was hoping to play this afternoon but he has decided that it is even too hot for him to walk around in these temperatures. I made this card for his birthday, which was a week or two ago. This little character is from Teddy Bo & Co, even I know you are not doing it right Teddy Bo!

I coloured the image with Promarkers and I added just a tiny bit of Glossy Accents to his visor. Once the Glossy Accents was dry I mounted the image onto some gold mrri and then some green and some white cards. I chose the Stampin' Up polka dot backing paper because it reminded me of lots of little golf balls on the green. I also used some white Craftwork Cards card candy for the same reason.

Whatever you are doing in this heat, try to keep cool and make sure you keep your fluid intake up.

Monday, 18 July 2016

It is time for a new challenge at Crafty Boots Challenges and this time we have something a little different for you - a picture challenge.

I have never done a picture challenge before and, to be honest, I felt very out of my comfort zone to start with and spent a lot of times thinking about poppies but I was overthinking it and coming up with nothing. So, it was back to the theoretical drawing board and I came up with a sunset, I hope you like it.

I raided my Delicious Doodles stash for this scene, it is called 'Sunset at Sea'. I coloured it with my F&C pencils them mounted it on some silver mirri and purple card.

The honeycomb backing paper is from Stampin' Up and the ribbon, shells and sentiment are all from my crafty stash.

As you can see, a picture challenge does not have to be about the obvious, it can also be about one of the other elements - the vista, the sunset, the colours. Have fun playing with this one.

The rest of the Crafty Boots ladies have been busy coming up with ideas which may give you some other ideas, make sure you swing by and take a look for yourself.

Sunday, 17 July 2016

My final card is a rather special image, which was designed by Teri Sherman following the Paris bombing. Given the tragic events earlier this week I thought it would be appropriate to use her candle of peace again.

I coloured the image with F&C pencils and added glitter to the roses. I then mounted it on layers of gold mirri and green card. The backing papers is from Digital Rainbow. The flower and ivy leaves are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

Friday, 15 July 2016

I hope that you have been enjoying Christmas in July as much as I have. We are approaching the end of this Crafty Boots Challenge, so I only have a few more cards to share with you.

My card today features Delicious Doodles' 'Jolly Holly Postbox',which I coloured with F&C pencils and then mounted it on gold mirri card.

The backing paper is from the Dovecraft Christmas Glad Tidings paper pack. The flowers and berries are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. To be honest, I cannot remember where the red glitter card came from.

Thursday, 14 July 2016

Good morning. I survived my trip to the dentist yesterday. In fact, it was probably my best ever dental appointment, I was not even examined. A quick chat and I'll see you in six months! Ha ha!

I have another of my Delicious Doodles Christmas cards to share with you today. This image is called 'A Snowy Stop-Over'. I used F&C pencils to add colour to the image and then added glitter to highlight the snow. I mounted the image on both red glittered card and gold mirri card.

The backing papers are from a Tim Coffey paper stack by K & Co and The Digital Rainbow. The wooden snowflakes were a gift ans the sentiment came from Craftwork Cards.

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

A very quick post today because I have to get off to the dentist. Sometimes I think I have got the hang of using my F&C pencils and then other days things do not go so well.

I used them to colour this Delicious Doodles 'Poinsettia Wreath' image. I mounted the coloured image onto green and gold mirri card. The backing paper I used here was from The Digi Rainbow and the poinsettia flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the ribbon and holo stars are from my stash.

Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Here I am again with another 'Christmas is July' card. All of this card making has got me wondering about how organised everyone else is. Have you started making your Christmas cards yet? How about buying gifts and setting them aside? I know someone who has not only bought all of her presents but has wrapped them too.

After some of the comments I received yesterday I am starting to feel a little like an estate agent. So today I have to offer a small but comfortable cottage in a rural setting by Delicious Doodles, it would be perfect for 'A Crofter's Winter' cottage.

I coloured the image with my F& C pencils and added glitter to highlight the snowy bits. I then mounted the image onto some silver card and highlighted the snow with glitter. The music paper is from Dovecraft Christmas Glad Tidings paper pack and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The sentiment stamp is from Stampin' Up and the little gems from my stash.

Monday, 11 July 2016

We have reached the midway spot with the current Crafty Boots Challenge, which is the ever popular 'Christmas in July Challenge'. We have already seen a lot of fabulous projects but there is still a week to enter yours.

My Design Team card today features a Delicious Doodles image called 'Snowy Mailbox.'. I coloured the image with my F& C pencils and added glitter to highlight the snowy bits. I then mounted the image onto some silver card and some of my favourite red glittered paper.

The backing paper is from Papermania's First Noel pack and the flowers and berries are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards and the silver snowflake die is by Memory Box.

We have a lovely lady as Guest Designer this week, make sure your pop across to Crafty Boots Challenges to see her fabulous project or go direct to her blog - 'Paper, Markers, Ink, Oh My!'. You will also find some great Christmas projects from the rest of the Team.

Saturday, 9 July 2016

I am back with a very quick Christmas in July post, this posting on a Saturday seems to be getting a bit of a habit. But now I have started making my Christmas cards, it seems I'm on a bit of a role, ha ha!

This is another Delicious Doodles image, called 'Christmas Candles'. I coloured the image with my F&C pencils and then mounted it on gold mirri card. The papers are from Papermania's First Noel pack, these papers are so busy, it seems a shame to add much more to the card for fear of over 'doing it'. The little poinsettia flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the sentiment stamp is by Stampin' Up. The gems are from my stash, I got these many years ago as part of a Kanban Crafts kit, I have looked everywhere to find these lovely gem sheets, but I cannot track them down.

Friday, 8 July 2016

The weekend is almost here again and I am back today to share another Christmas card with you. It has been great fun making Christmas cards this week ..... although my hubby has been complaining about glitter in his dinner - a small price to pay I think.

Today's card features another of my large collection of Delicious Doodles collection. This one is called 'On a Winter's Day'. I coloured the image with my F&C polychromos pencils and added glitter to the snow. I then mounted the image on silver miri card. The paper is fromDovecraft Christmas Glad Tidings paper pack and the sentiment stamp is from Craftwork Cards. Most of the flowers, leaves and embellishments are from Wild Orchid Crafts but I made the large flower from red glitter card.

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Earlier this year I made two New Baby cards using nothing but die cut elements, click here for the post. I was quite pleased with the results and I thought it might be fun to try the same technique to make some Christmas cards.

If you look closely you will see that there are slight differences between the red and the green designs. For the small squares I have used some of my Spellbinder dies. I also used dies to cut the two larger squares, I clipped the corners so they matched the scalloped card blanks and the Spellbinder dies.

The letters were cut with Sizzix Bigz dies. When I made the new baby cards I layered them up with foam pads but here I used glue. With hindight this was possibly a mistake because my fingers got very sticky and the glue got onto the gold mirri card and marked it. As you can see, I and chose a matching coloured ribbon for each design and then added a Christmas charm from my stash.

My apologies for the dark photographs, the lighting here has been abysmal recently.

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

We have had two whole days without rain, I know that most of you have been suffering exceptionally high temperatures but here in the UK we have had so much rain recently I have been thinking about buying a boat!

Enough of this gloom, at Crafty Boots Challenges we are celebrating Christmas in July, one of my favourite challenges.

I have another Delicious Doodles wintery images to share with you today, this one is called Snowy Postbox. After colouring the scene with Ptomarkers I used Polar Flower Soft to pick out the snow. I then mounted it on silver mirri card.

The backing papers are from The Digi Rainbow and the sentiment is from Craftwork Cards. The wooden snowflakes and seasonal ribbon are from my stash.

Sunday, 3 July 2016

I have had this image for more than four years and never used it, now I look at it I cannot image why, it is such a pretty image.

It is another of my extensive collection of Teddy Bo & Co images, this one is called Bea in the Meadow. Now let's see - I coloured it with Promarkers, then mounted it on gold mirri and blue and white cards. The backing paper and blue card are from Stampin' Up. The sentiment is from my stash.

Today is your last chance to enter your projects in the current Crafty Boots Challenge, but hurry it closes at noon. A new challenge starts tomorrow.

Saturday, 2 July 2016

I was a little remiss with my posting last week and have therefore got behind with sharing my summer time cards for the current Crafty Boots Challenge.

This cute little couple is from Tiddly Inks - 'Bugs and Kisses'. I coloured the image with Promarkers and mounted it on some gold and red card.

The backing paper are Stampin' Up and the daisies are from Wild Orchid Crafts. The large butterfly die is from Memory Box and the small one Stampin' Up. The sentiment and little dragonflies are from my stash.